Sera Alexander Plea

On March 7, 2018, Sera Alexander pled guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter and Reckless Use of a Firearm Causing Serious Injury for the May 8, 2017 shooting death of Anthony Hartmann. The defendant had previously claimed self-defense, but acknowledged during the plea proceeding that her actions were not legally justified.

The manslaughter charge is a Class D Felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. The firearm charge is a Class C Felony, punishable by up to ten years in prison. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 27, 2018.

The investigation was led by Des Moines Police Department detectives Aaron Entrekin and Lorna Garcia.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant Polk County Attorneys Shannon Archer and Kevin Hathaway with the assistance of Diane Aldrich and prosecuting intern Catherine Dick.